Coreless double flanged insulation

ABSTRACT

An insulator for supporting an electrically charged wire on a fence post, integrally molded from a plastic material, comprising a pair of parallel spaced apart flanges connected by an axially oriented body in the form of a trough having a U-shaped channel, the flanges being free of axial apertures, and the outer flange having means for guiding a nail to be driven through the flange, into the U-shaped axial channel, through the other flange, and into a wooden post.

n] 3,749,819 [451 July 31,1973

United States Patent 1 Wilson 3,071,640 l/l963 Langlie et al....... 3,535,432 10/1970 CORELESS DOUBLE FLANGED INSULATOR [75] Inventor: Robert M. Wilson, BattleCreek,

Primary Examiner-Laramie E. Askin Attorney-Roy A. Plant and samuel lzifrlandsky Mich.

Assignee: Dare Products, Incorporated,

[57] ABSTRACT An insulator for supporting an electrically charged wire Battle Creek, Mich.

on. so, 1972 21 Appl.No.:302,293 a [22] Filed:

on a fence post, integrally molded from a plastic material, comprising a pair of parallel spaced apart flanges connected by an axially oriented body in the form of a [52] US. Cl. 174/158 F, 174/166 R, 174/175 trough having a U-shaped channel, the flanges being [51] Int. Cl. H0lb 17/16 174/158 R, 158 F, 174/161 F, 163 F, 164,165,166R, 174,175,

free of axial apertures, and the outer flange having [58] Field of Search.....................

means for guiding a nail to be driven through the flange, into the U-shaped axial channel, through the other flange, and into a wooden post.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,447,251 8/1948 Huette 174/166 R CORELESS DOUBLE FLANGED INSULATION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Insulators for use in electrical fences integrally molded of plastic materials are known in the art. Such insulators generally comprise an axial body or core, a transverse flange positioned at each end of the axial body, and means for supporting and restraining an elec' trical wire mounted on the insulator. The body or core of the insulator is provided with an axial channel into which a nail may be inserted for mounting the insulator on a wooden post. Such insulators have proven to be highly satisfactory for usein conjunction with electrical fence equipment. However, insulators of the type described have one drawback which relates not to their efficiency or suitability for the intended use, but with respect to the difficulty and expense encountered inthe molding process by which the insulators are formed. The problem arises as a result of the fact that, in order to provide the axial channel in which to mount the nail, a separate mold core must be used to form the axial channel, which core must be inserted and retracted in a different direction than the mold and core parts used to form the insulator proper. The requirement for the provision of such an additional core and for inserting and withdrawing it during themolding cycle greatly increases the expense of the mold and substantially increases the length of the molding cycle. Additionally, the automatic machinery for operating the mold is considerably more complex.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical insulator for use with electrical fences, which insulator may be integrally molded from a plastic material.

It is still further an object of the present invention to provide an electrical insulator for a fence having a plurality of flanges for increasing the lengthof current leakage paths.

It is still further an object of the present invention to provide an insulator having integral means for supporting and restraining an electrical wire thereon.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an electrical'insulator so designed that the need for an additional core to form the axial channel inthe body of the insulator for insertion of a retaining device is eliminated.

Still further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the useful electrical insulator herein fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing, and the following description setting forth in detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, such disclosed embodiment illustrating, however, but one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the insulator of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the insulator.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at the line 33 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4'is a top view of the insulator, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken at the line 55 of FIG. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT and has an upper wire-supporting ridge 16 and descending flanges I7 and 18. A channel 19 is provided intermediate the flanges l7 and 18, having an open side or orifice 20. The closed portion of the channel 19 is formed and positioned to serve as a nail guide 21.

In order to restrain an electrical wire mounted on the insulator, wire-restraining hooks 22 and 23 are provided, one affixed to each of the flanges 11 and 12. Alternatively, any of a large number of wire-retaining means may be integrally provided. A nail guide 24 in the form of a partial tube is provided on the outer surface of the distal flange l l. The inner surface of the nail guide 24 is substantially coextensive with the inner sur face of the nail guide channel 21.

As the insulator is molded, both flanges 12 and 13 are free of any aperture (FIGS. 2 and 4), thereby avoiding the need for an additional core in the mold assembly. In order to mount the insulator, the point of a nail is inserted in the nail guide 24. The nail is then pounded with a hammer or othe'rsuitable instrument until it penetrates the distal'flange 11. The nail is then forced further through, and using the upper portion of the nail guide channel as aguide, it is further pounded until it penetrates the proximal flange 12, and then into a,

wooden post or other supporting structure (FIGS. 1, 3 and 5). An electrical wire is placed under the hooks 22 and 23 in known manner, the hooks functioning to restrain the wire in place.

The insulator of the present invention may be made of any of a large number of suitable plastic materials, as for example, polypropylene, linear polyethylene, polyurethane, polyvinyl resins, polyesters", and many other types of resinous materials, including natural and artificial rubbers. The materials should have such physical properties that a nail can be readily driven through the flanges without materially fracturing the flanges.

The advantages of the present invention can be readily seen when the molding processes involved in molding the present insulator are compared with the processes and equipment required for prior art insulators. In the present insulator the mold need contain mold parts which move in only two directions, since no closed axial channel is provided in either the body member or the flanges. The opening in the body for accommodating a nail is in the form of an open trough which may be formed'by a mold part or core which is applied upwardly to the body and retracted downwardly. The remainder of the mold is applied from the top and forms the remaining surfacesln molding prior art insulators, in order to form a closed axial channel, a mold core must enter the mold from the. side in a di' rection perpendicular to the directions of the other mold parts. It is expensive to provide this additional part to the mold, and additional time is required for opening and closing the mold. In the presentinvention the need for this additional core member is completely eliminated, and an open channel is provided to receive the nail, with the nail being pounded through the flanges while guided by the body member channel and the separate guide 24 provided on the outer flange.

The insulator of the present invention, in addition to having the desirable attibutes of similar prior art insulators, additionally has the advantage that it may be more simply and less expensively molded, since an axial channel need not be provided during the molding process. The molding time is also reduced because there is no horizontal core to be removed. As a result, the manufacturing costs of the insulator are materially reduced.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described, other forms within the spirit and scope of the invention will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore the embodiment shown in the drawing is to be considered as merely setting forth the useful article of manufacture for illustrative purposes, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention herein described, shown and claimed.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is defined as follows: v

1. An electrical insulator for use with an electrical fence, integrally molded of a plastic material and comprising a body member having an axial trough at the bottom thereof, and a pair of transverse flanges affixed at each end, said flanges being free of axially oriented apertures, one of said flanges having a nail guide provided on the outer surface thereof so arranged that its inner surface is substantially coextensive with the inner surface of the closed portion of said trough, whereby a nail may be placed with its point positioned in said nail guide, driven through said flange, and using the closed portion of said trough as a guide, further driven through said other flange and into a mounting surface, and wire engaging and restraining means mounted on said insulator.

2. An electrical insulator according to claim 1, wherein said body member has an outer wire supporting surface, depending flanges defining an axial channel having a closed upper surface adapted to guide a nail pounded therethrough, and an open orifice at the bottom of said body member extending the entire length of said axial channel.

3. An. electrical insulator according to claim' 2,

wherein the inner surfaces of said depending flanges are substantially parallel.

, 4. An electrical insulator according to claim 1, wherein said transverse flanges are substantially rectangular.

5. An electrical insulator according to claim 1, wherein said nail guide is in the form of a semi-circular annulus.

6. An electrical insulator according to claim' 1, wherein the upper portion of said body member is provided with a ridge forsupporting a wire thereon.

7. An electrical insulator according" to claim 1, wherein said transverse flanges are provided with stiffening ribs.

8. An electrical insulator according to claim-1, wherein said wire engaging and restraining meanscomprises a pair of oppositely positioned hooks, one mounted on each of said transverse flanges. 

1. An electrical insulator for use with an electrical fence, integrally molded of a plastic material and comprising a body member having an axial trough at the bottom thereof, and a pair of transverse flanges affixed at each end, said flanges being free of axially oriented apertures, one of said flanges having a nail guide provided on the outer surface thereof so arranged that its inner surface is substantially coextensive with the inner surface of the closed portion of said trough, whereby a nail may be placed with its point positioned in said nail guide, driven through said flange, and using the closed portion of said trough as a guide, further driven through said other flange and into a mounting surface, and wire engaging and restraining means mounted on said insulator.
 2. An electrical insulator according to claim 1, wherein said body member has an outer wire supporting surface, depending flanges defining an axial channel having a closed upper surface adapted to guide a nail pounded therethrough, and an open orifice at the bottom of said body member extending the entire length of said axial channel.
 3. An electrical insulator according to claim 2, wherein the inner surfaces of said depending flanges are substantially parallel.
 4. An electrical insulator according to claim 1, wherein said transverse flanges are substantially rectangular.
 5. An electrical insulator according to claim 1, wherein said nail guide is in the form of a semi-circular annulus.
 6. An electrical insulator according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion of said body member is provided with a ridge for supporting a wire thereon.
 7. An electrical insulator according to claim 1, wherein said transverse flanges are provided with stiffening ribs.
 8. An electrical insulator according to claim 1, wherein said wire engaging and restraining means comprises a pair of oppositely positioned hooks, one mounted on each of said transverse flanges. 